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Infected Asian Citrus Psyllid Discovered in Duarte

A tiny insect no bigger than a grain of rice called the Asian citrus psyllid; carrier of the Huanglongbing or HLB disease has been detected in the City of Duarte. While not harmful to humans, the disease kills citrus trees and has no cure. The California Department of Food and Agriculture is currently going door to door in the community to inspect citrus trees for the disease. Residents will be able to recognize the members of the Department in several distinct ways; the official California Department of Food and Agriculture patch, tan shirts and CDFA badges.

The California Department of Food and Agriculture tracks the presence of the pest and disease, and establishes quarantines to help protect California citrus trees. The insect feeds on citrus leaves and stems. Without proper inspection and treatment, the disease may go unnoticed on your citrus trees, and could have devastating consequences.

Learn what you can do to protect California citrus by visiting the CDFA website. It is important to remember that it is illegal to bring citrus fruit or plant material into California from other states or countries, and to move it out of quarantine areas. To report a siting in your area, contact the CDFA Pest Hotline at 1-800-491-1899.